Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan - Rilegato

Roderick, John

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 1568987315 ISBN 13: 9781568987316

Casa editrice: Princeton Architectural Pr, 2007

Riassunto

In 1959 journalist John Roderick joined the Tokyo bureau of the Associated Press. There, he befriended a Japanese family, the Takishitas. After musing offhandedly that he would like to one day have his own house in Japan, the familyunbeknownst to Johnset out to grant his wish. They found Roderick a 250-year-old minka, or hand-built farmhouse, with a thatched roof and held together entirely by wooden pegs and joinery. It was about to be washed away by flooding and was being offered for only fourteen dollars. Roderick graciously bought the house, but was privately dismayed at the prospect of living in this enormous old relic lacking heating, bathing, plumbing, and proper kitchenfacilities. So the minka was dismantled and stored, where Roderick secretly hoped it would stay, as it did for several years.

But Roderick's reverence for natural materials and his appreciation of traditional Japanese and Shinto craftsmanship eventually got the better of him. Before long a team of experienced carpenters were hoisting massive beams, laying wide wooden floors, and attaching the split-bamboo ceiling. In just forty days they rebuilt the house on a hill overlooking Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan. Working together, they renovated the farmhouse, adding features such as floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and a modern kitchen, bath, and toilet. From these humble beginnings, Roderick's minkahas become internationally known and has hosted such luminaries as President George H. W. Bush, and Senator Hillary Clinton. John Roderick's architectural memoir Minka

tells the compelling and often poignant story of how one man fell in love with the people, culture, and ancient building traditions of Japan, and reminds us all about the importance of craftsmanship and the meaning of place and home in the process.

Su questo libro

Informazioni sugli autori

John Roderick was an Associated Press foreign correspondent in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for almost forty years. He lives part of the year in Hawaii and part of the year in his minka in Kamakura, Japan.

John Roderick was an Associated Press foreign correspondent in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for almost forty years. He lives part of the year in Hawaii and part of the year in his minka in Kamakura, Japan.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Princeton Architectural Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 2007
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 1568987315
• ISBN 13: 9781568987316
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 255
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: egenta s.r.o; 421000000000; customerservice@egenta.eu; ; Varsavska 715/36; Prague; 120 00; Repubblica Ceca